Movie Review: Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones

Yes, Lady Liberty finally managed to get to a theatre when lines weren't a factor and, in fact, the theatre wasn't full, and she now has this review of the much-anticipated Star Wars prequel:

Let's get the obvious out of the way first: How are the special effects? The answer: They are superlative. In fact, the special effects alone are worth double the ticket price of the movie. Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas' own effects company (formed when he made the first Star Wars and other effects houses were unable to provide the quality Lucas demanded), handles the job with results above and beyond even its own rarified standards.

Keep in mind that I'm a special effects geek from way back, and I can frequently spot effects in movies, even when they're pretty good. Blue screen work (when actors are filmed against a blue or green screen and backgrounds are added later), although much improved in recent years, is usually visible to the discerning eye. In Attack of the Clones, there are scenes I know for a fact were done with blue screen technology, and I still couldn't see it.

The mergers of foreground reality and added backgrounds were literally flawless. Computer generated graphics (called CGI for short), though spectacular, tend to be slightly jerky or have action that is perceptibly sped up beyond other action, espcially when the CGI involves large objects or creatures (you'll recall I had complaints about this in my review of Spider-Man). Again, in instances I know were CGI, I couldn't spot a mistake or a shortcoming anywhere. The sets (much of which were also CGI) are as gigantic as we've come to expect from a Star Wars installment, and the scope of some scenes is literally breathtaking. Battle scenes, in particular, are spectacular. Even background animations are filled with detail and realistic movements. The sound, iincluding a score once again written by Oscar-winning composer John Williams, is also top notch.

Producers of the Matrix sequels are already claiming that their new movies will bring special effects to a new level that may take years to be equalled by other films. After having seen Attack of the Clones, the producers' words seem more braggadocio than advertising. The effects I saw this weekend are going to be very, very hard to beat or even match.

The storyline of this second movie in the prequels trilogy is adequate, and it offers some satisfying answers to a few of the questions posed in the later action (and earlier films). I found the first 20 minutes or so of the film to be slow moving, but once the plot picked up, it proved to be both interesting and suspenseful, a surprise when you already know that certain major characters are going to survive. The script is good, though has moments where its humor is so obviously forced that iit's more ridiculous than funny, and some of the lines - particularly of the romantic variety - are more likely to make you wince or laugh than to feel with the characters.

My primary complaint has to do with the mediocrity, in most part, of the acting. Rather than accuse the actors of inadequacy, however, I'm going to lay the blame squarely at Lucas' feet. I haven't seen Natalie Portman (Padme Amidala) or Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker) in any other movies, so their wooden performances might have been attributed to poor ability on their part. I know for a fact, however, that Samuel L. Jackson (Mace Windu) can act, though he's as stilted as the others in this role, so I have to assume he's behaving as he is because the director directed him that way. In fact, though Christopher Lee (as a renegade Count) is certainly a cut above the others, the only real acting here comes from Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), who clearly relishes his every scene and who makes you believe both the passion and the grandeur of the Jedi.

Note for Freedom Fighters: Some important questions are addressed in Attack of the Clones, questions well worthy of more consideration even after the film has rolled its final credits. For example, is a dictatorship of some kind better than a democracy if that democracy has been corrupted? If members of a federation want to secede, under what conditions should the federation prevent that from happening? Should pre-emptive force be considered? And most relevent for a post-9/11 America, if emergency powers are granted a leader, can they - will they - ever be relinquished?

Family suitability: Attack of the Clones is rated PG for violence, though none of the violence is particularly graphic. Small children will be unable to follow the relatively complicated plot line. For older children and adults, at least a barebones knowledge of the other films in the Star Wars franchise is nearly a requirement to appreciate the story (though not the effects). I had a great time at the theatre myself, and would recommend the movie for all ages from about 8 and up. As an added bonus, Jar Jar Binks is blessedly confined to just a few scenes, which makes the movie even better and almost up to the standards Lucas exhibited more than 20 years ago when we first visited a galaxy far, far away.